diff --git a/tape/skim.go b/tape/skim.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4d2ab6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tape/skim.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package tape
+
+import "fmt"
+
+// Skim uses up data from a decoder to "skim" over one value (and all else
+// contained within it) without actually putting the data anywhere.
+func Skim(decoder *Decoder, tag Tag) (n int, err error) {
+	switch tag.WithoutCN() {
+	case SI:
+		// SI: (none)
+		return n, nil
+	case LI, LSI, FP:
+		// LI: <value: IntN>
+		// LSI: <value: IntN>
+		// FP: <value: FloatN>
+		nn, err := decoder.Discard(tag.CN() + 1)
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+	case SBA:
+		// SBA: <data: U8>*
+		nn, err := decoder.Discard(tag.CN())
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+	case LBA:
+		// LBA: <length: UN> <data: U8>*
+		length, nn, err := decoder.ReadUintN(tag.CN() + 1)
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		nn, err = decoder.Discard(int(length))
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+	case OTA:
+		// OTA: <length: UN> <elementTag: tape.Tag> <values>*
+		length, nn, err := decoder.ReadUintN(tag.CN() + 1)
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		oneTag, nn, err := decoder.ReadTag()
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		for _ = range length {
+			nn, err := Skim(decoder, oneTag)
+			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		}
+	case KTV:
+		// KTV: <length: UN> (<key: U16> <tag: Tag> <value>)*
+		length, nn, err := decoder.ReadUintN(tag.CN() + 1)
+		n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		for _ = range length {
+			nn, err := decoder.Discard(2)
+			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+			itemTag, nn, err := decoder.ReadTag()
+			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+			nn, err = Skim(decoder, itemTag)
+			n += nn; if err != nil { return n, err }
+		}
+	default:
+		return n, fmt.Errorf("unknown TN %d", tag.TN())
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}